Chandigarh, June 17 (IANS) In the wake of increasing incidents of snatching in Punjab, the state government Thursday approved changes in the existing law to make penalties for the crime more stringent.
The Punjab cabinet gave approval for amending Section 379 (punishment for theft) of the Indian Penal Code by inserting sections 379-A and 379-B to make this crime a cognisable, punishable and non-bailable offence, a government spokesperson said.
‘Whoever commits snatching shall be punished with a rigorous imprisonment, which will be not less than five years and can be extended up to ten years. The accused shall also be liable to a fine of Rs.10,000 or with both fine and imprisonment,’ the spokesperson said.
These decisions were taken during the meeting of the cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
The cabinet also approved the establishment of evening courts in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala districts in order to clear the backlog of pending cases.
‘The working hours of these courts would be from 5 to 7 p.m. They would deal with cases pertaining to Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958 and Factories Act, 1948. An officer of the level of chief judicial magistrate would function in these evening courts,’ the spokesperson said.
